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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/27158216">Sweet Home Texas</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/allicekitty13/pseuds/allicekitty13'>allicekitty13</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Jalice- Country Style [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Twilight (Movies), Twilight Series - All Media Types, Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Country girl Alice is thirsty AF, F/M, Jasper gets called an idiot A LOT, Jasper leans a lot because cowboys don't know how to stand up straight, alluded to abuse, yes I am STILL on the Riley thing</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-10-23</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-28</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 23:40:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>16,208</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/27158216</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/allicekitty13/pseuds/allicekitty13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>When Alice returned to her hometown for her brother's wedding the last thing she expected was that Jasper would have forgotten her completely. When Jasper was driving to his cousins wedding he didn't expect to run into a mysterious girl who knows him, but he doesn't remember her.</p><p>With five days before Alice leaves will Jasper be able to figure out who she is and remedy the biggest regret of his life?<br/>Turns out there are two sides to every story.</p><p>Written for Jalice Week Day 7- YeeHaw</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Alice Cullen/Jasper Hale, Charlotte/Peter (Twilight), Emmett Cullen/Rosalie Hale</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Jalice- Country Style [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1982360</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>18</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>10</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Jalice Week 2020</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Wednesday- Alice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Shout out to my friend J for letting me interview him on cowboy stuff.<br/>Shout out to my small farm town full of cowboys for giving me so much experience with those types and, more importantly, for all the years of pent up thoughts on the subject. I hope I painted you southern cryptids in something of positive light.</p><p>This one is dedicated to SalmonCenter- The queen of yeehaw day because I 100% would have slept on this prompt if I wasn't for her.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>
    <span>Wednesday</span>
  </strong>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm so fucking late." Alice thought to herself as she hunched over the hood of the car one-handed. Her height made this task difficult enough on its own, nevermind having to do it with one hand as the other held her phone as a torch. When the car pulled over behind her, she was tentatively hopeful, either someone would be able to help her get the piece of garbage car up and running, or she was about to be murdered. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"What seems to be the problem, little lady?" A voice called out in a thick Texan accent, one that she only kind of missed. Only on those days when she thought of him, she'd have to deal with that soon enough. For now, she really did need to get off the highway. She was flooded with relief as she turned around, though soon enough was apparently right now; a friendly face was more than she could hope for. "Jasper, thank GOD. I have no idea what's wrong with this thing. Think I could hitch a ride to town?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Rather than look at him, she pulled out her phone, quickly ordering a tow truck to get the now useless car off the road. She hoped to high heaven that the phone screen didn't illuminate the blush she could feel setting into her cheeks. Turns out, being away for five years did not reduce the impact your high school crush had on you.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"My apologies, ma'am," She looked up at that, glad to know he was still polite as always. That man didn't have a mean bone in his body, one of the many things she found exceptionally attractive. "But I can't seem to recall having met you."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>That caused her to roll her eyes, less happy to know he was still a jokester. "Hahaha, very funny, Jas. Seriously though, we're both super late, and the toe truck is already on its... way..." She looked up to a bashful apologetic smile; realization hit her, causing her to double over in laughter. "Holy shit, you really don't remember me, do you? That's too fucking funny." </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm sorry I don't, but if you'd let me buy you a drink, I'd love to catch up."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Are... are you trying to flirt with me now?" It was too much; this was quite possibly the most hilarious thing to have ever happened to her. A devious grin spread across her face; she always had like playing games with him; why stop now. "Tell you what, when you can remember who I am, if you still want to ask me out, I'll go on a date with you." </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Do I get any hints?" As expected, he responded positively to the idea.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Oh no, you have to figure it out on your own. Now help me into your ridiculously oversized truck... like you used to."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Ma'am," He chuckled as he lifted her up, "I reckon that's a hint of sorts."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"It's whatever you want it to be, cowboy." She buckled up and pulled out her cell once again, tapping out a message to her soon to be sister in law. She explained the situation and begged her to inform all their friends to not tell Jasper her name. He had to figure this one out on his own.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>Jasper tried questioning her the entire ride to the restaurant. She had quickly given him a set of ground rules; he couldn't ask her about her life before age twenty, her family, or how she knew anyone in town. So he asked about her line of work, hobbies, etc. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>She responded by giving out as little information as possible, thinking that things would click as soon as they got to the restaurant. She was wrong.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Walking into the restaurant, the first person to greet them was Jasper's little sister Charlotte. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"It's great to see you again!" The woman wrapped her up in a hug before turning to Jasper. "You're an absolute idiot. How could you not remember her? And after what you did..."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"What exactly did I do?" He looked at his sister with pleading eyes hoping she would bail him out like she usually did when he got in trouble.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"No, I'm not helping you this time, bro. You deserve it." With a flip of her hair, she left him standing there. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"What did you do?" He leaned down to whisper. "How does my sister already know about our deal?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I may or may not have asked the bride to inform her guests of our little arrangement. Or did you think I'd let you off that easy? You may not remember, but I am a formidable opponent, Mr. Whitlock." </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Game on, little lady." He smirked at her fondly, causing her heart to race, God she'd missed that look.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>He looked as though he wanted to say something when Emmett came bounding up to the pair picking up Alice into a giant bear hug. He set her down before turning to Jasper. "Thanks for giving this one a ride, man. I keep telling her to replace that old car and get a truck."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"I'll die before anyone catches me driving one of those monstrosities you country boys think are so cool. By the way, your lift kit makes you look like a douchebag. Besides, that cars got sentimental value." </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"You bought it off a farm for $300 five years ago. What sort of sentimental value could it possibly have child?"</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Okay, not a child. I'm twenty-five, so get that straight. You don't know the whole story behind how I got that car, so you can just move right along." Emmett laughed as he walked away, obliging the request to greet more of his guests. Meanwhile, Alice reflected on a memory.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"I think you've got it, Al." Jasper nodded approvingly from the passenger's seat. They had been cruising along backroads for weeks now. After she'd informed him, she didn't dive because she didn't know how; his immediate response had been to teach her. "Could probably go take the test tomorrow. I got time in the afternoon." </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"I don't have anything to take it in, but at least now I can drive in an emergency. Like next time you or Emmet hurt yourselves actin' like idiots."</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"I'll sell ya this one. $300, never use it anyway since I got the truck now. Just sits around collectin dust."</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"Daddy's gonna kill me for gettin a license; I don't even wanna know how he'd react to my gettin a car."</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"Keep it at my place then," He'd shrugged. </span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"Why are you so adamant about selling me this car." She questioned him.</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <em>
    <span>"Don't worry about it." He looked away from her flustered, "It's yours whether you pay me or not, so get over it. Now drive us back to my place so I can take you home. It's gettin' late."</span>
  </em>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"You alright, Ma'am?" Jasper's voice in the present brought her back to reality.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah, just remembering something."</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>The rest of the dinner had gone off without a hitch; Jasper followed her around, waiting for someone to slip and give up her name. Alice greeted numerous friends from her childhood, and thankfully no one spoiled her game, many of them actually insulting Jasper's intelligence. She'd been a bit concerned Maria would give her away. Her former best friend had been so excited to introduce Alice to her fiance, a man from Washington named Riley, that she'd let out the first syllable of her name. </span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>"So it starts with an A then." He'd smirked, thinking he was onto something.</span>
</p>
<p> </p>
<p>
  <span>As the night went on, Rosalie pulled her to the side, shooting Jasper one of her famous glares silently communicating, 'If you follow us, I will kill you.' She gave Alice a hug, informed her of what dates she needed to be where for bridesmaid duties, told her she thought the thing with Jasper was hilarious, and broke the bad news. The only hotel in town had been fully booked by friends and family on both sides; Bethany Whitlock had stepped up and offered some rooms out at her ranch. Alice would be rooming with Charlotte.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Wednesday- Jasper</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>
    <span>Wednesday</span>
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jasper was running late; he'd gotten caught up at the ranch and had left an hour behind schedule. He was speeding down the highway rather than his usual choice of backroads in his haste to get to the restaurant. His cousin was getting married in a few weeks, and her fiance's family was in town for the event. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Just a few miles out of town, he caught sight of a car on the side of the road, the hood popped open, and an extremely short woman was struggling to prop herself up to check out what was causing her problems. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jasper groaned in mild annoyance; he couldn't just drive past and not offer assistance; what would his mama say if she found out? He shuddered at the thought.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He reluctantly pulled over, hoping Rosie would understand. "What seems to be the problem, little lady?" He called out as he walked toward her hands up to indicate he was no threat. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The action seemed unnecessary as when she turned her head to face him, relief flooded her expression. "Jasper, thank GOD. I have no idea what's wrong with this thing. Think I could hitch a ride to town?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was confused, positive he'd never seen this woman in his life, sure that he'd always remember someone as beautiful as her. She stood with one hand on her hip as she tapped quickly on her phone. Her short hair slightly ruffled from trying to fix the car. "My apologies, ma'am, but I can't seem to recall having met you."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hahaha, very funny, Jas. Seriously though, we're both super late, and the toe truck is already on its... way..." She looked up to see his apologetic smile and doubled over in laughter.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>"Holy shit, you really don't remember me, do you? That's too fucking funny." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm sorry I don't, but if you'd let me buy you a drink, I'd love to catch up." Peter was always trying to get back into the dating game, and this girl was breathtaking standing on the side of the highway in her black dress and high heeled boots. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Are... are you trying to flirt with me now?" A wicked grin made its way across her face causing his stomach to do summersaults. The look, while a bit nerve-wracking, was incredibly cute. "Tell you what, when you can remember who I am, if you still want to ask me out, I'll go on a date with you." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Oh my, she was cute as a button and liked games. She was on; he'd get that date. "Do I get any hints?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh no, you have to figure it out on your own. Now help me into your ridiculously oversized truck... like you used to."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ma'am," He chuckled as he lifted her up, "I reckon that's a hint of sorts."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's whatever you want it to be, cowboy." He waited for her to get comfortable in the vehicle before making his way to the driver's side, starting the truck just as she was putting away her cell.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jasper tried questioning her the entire ride to the restaurant. She had quickly given him a set of ground rules; he couldn't ask her about her life before age twenty, her family, or how she knew anyone in town. So he asked about her line of work, hobbies, etc. He found out she was a photographer but was trying to get her sketches more widely noticed. He learned that she liked to dance, she loved horror movies, and her favorite food was mint chocolate chip ice cream.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She actively tried giving out as little information as possible most of her responses basic generic information; the joke was on her though. They were headed to the same restaurant; Jasper was sure his sister would at least recognize this girl giving him an easy win, oh how wrong he was. He felt lucky as when they entered the restaurant, the first person to greet them was none other than his little sister Charlotte.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's great to see you again!" His ever excited sibling hugged the girl, her eyes darkening as she turned on Jasper. "You're an absolute idiot. How could you not remember her? And after what you did..."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What exactly did I do?" He pleaded; typically, Charlotte was the first person to bail him out when he got in trouble; he was counting on it this time.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No, I'm not helping you this time, bro. You deserve it." With a flip of her hair, she left him standing there. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What did you do?" He leaned down to whisper to the mystery girl. "How does my sister already know about our deal?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I may or may not have asked the bride to inform her guests of our little arrangement. Or did you think I'd let you off that easy? You may not remember, but I am a formidable opponent, Mr. Whitlock." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Game on, little lady." He smirked down at her; it had been far too long since he'd had anyone on his level to compete with. This would be fun.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was preparing to ask more questions when Emmett came bounding up to the pair picking up the girl into a giant bear hug. He set her down before turning to Jasper. "Thanks for giving this one a ride, man. I keep telling her to replace that old car and get a truck."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'll die before anyone catches me driving one of those monstrosities you country boys think are so cool." She'd answered with an eye roll. "By the way, your lift kit makes you look like a douchebag. Besides, that cars got sentimental value." He was a bit offended by her comment; he did love his truck after all. The list went mama and Charlotte, his horses, and his truck. Jasper was a simple man.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You bought it off a farm for $300 five years ago. What sort of sentimental value could it possibly have child?" Emmett had pressed a valid question; most people's first car in the area were used junk cars purchased from farms. People usually bought something better as soon as they could afford it. Jasper wondered why the girl found hers so special.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Okay, not a child. I'm twenty-five, so get that straight. You don't know the whole story behind how I got that car, so you can just move right along." Emmett laughed at her and made his way to greet another guest; Alice's eyes seemed to lose focus concerning him just a bit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You alright, Ma'am?" He placed a hand on her shoulder, worried that she might fall.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, just remembering something." Another mysterious response, this woman was very intriguing. He liked it quite a bit.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The rest of the dinner had been frustrating; he followed her around as people greeted her, hoping someone might slip up and give out her name. She'd greeted quite a few of his friends, and unfortunately, none of them were of any help. In fact, he'd been called an idiot far too many times for his liking. He'd had a glimmer of hope just once when Maria, presumably in her excitement over being recently engaged, had uttered the first syllable of the girl's name.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So it starts with an A then." He'd smirked after Maria had moved along, thinking he was onto something.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Towards the end of the night, Rosalie had pulled her to the side, giving Jasper one of her, 'I will kill you in your sleep looks.' he regularly received from his cousin. Pulling the girl away to talk in the back of the rental space.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>While he was waiting for her to come back, Emmett had passed by; Jasper asked his close friend to let him know who this girl was. He hadn't been expecting Emmett to tell him that he wouldn't give him anything and that he meant no offense by it but hoped he lost. Jasper was left confused and offended. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>When the girl returned, it was with great news, she was one of Rosalie's wedding guests rooming at the ranch. He'd have ample time to talk to her and win that date.</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Thursday- Alice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>
    <span>Thursday</span>
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alice woke up in the top bunk bed in Charlotte's room. She wondered how long it took for Jasper to eat his breakfast, hoping to avoid the very attractive sight of him in the morning shirtless and hair still a mess from sleep. Charlotte was long gone; she did have livestock to tend to after all. The girl had tried to be quiet but had accidentally woken Alice anyway.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She looked at her watch with a groan. It was seven a.m., sleep wasn't coming back, and her stomach was rumbling. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She quickly dressed, thankful she'd planned on spending time on farms ahead of time and had packed practical, though still stylish, clothing options. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Comfortable in her appearance, she made her way downstairs to the Whitlock dining room.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"My my my, haven't seen you around these parts in some time, missy." Mrs. Whitlock greeted warmly from her place at the stove. "And don't you worry about a thing. Charlie has already informed me about your deal with my idiot son."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Mama." Jasper groaned as he took a seat at the table, placing his cowboy hat on the table next to him. "Not you too."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"This sweetheart should be my daughter in law by now, and you can't even remember her name. I call em like see em. You're an idiot boy." She knocked him on the arm with a spatula before turning back to Alice, "You sit, girl, you've somehow gotten even skinnier we gotta put some meat on those bones."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alice obliged gladly; she'd missed Lilia Whitlock's homecooked meals and was excited for at least that aspect of spending a week in her home. It was a lovely breakfast of eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and potato pancakes in abundance. Jasper didn't say another word for the entire meal as Alice and his mother chatted; in fact, he looked rather pensive. Something Alice wasn't used to on the man who never thought anything through. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He did, however, pull her to the side after breakfast looking very serious. "Would you care to tell me, Miss Mysterious, why my mama spent half an hour chewing me out and telling me I'd better marry you this time?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Wow, I knew your mama liked me, but I didn't realize it went to that degree." She was pleased by that revelation; Mrs. Whitlock had always been like a mother to her. She'd stepped in for Alice and Emmett when their own mother had passed away. She was elated to know Lilia not only thought she was good enough for her son but was actively pushing the idea.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Who are you?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Figure it out, Jazzy." She blew him a kiss and walked outside to sketch some nature scenes; the Whitlock ranch was surrounded by trails that she missed exploring. The numerous pathways offered an abundant source of beautiful locations to draw. She happened to be on one of these trails sketching out a breathtaking view of the skyline when she ran into Jasper and Peter heading back to the house for lunch.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Could I offer you a ride back, ma'am?" Jasper had asked as he dismounted his horse holding his cowboy hat over his heart.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sure, Mr." It was amazing how easy it was to fall back into a flirting pattern with the man. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>You can ride with me." Jasper patted his horse as Peter stared at him in shock.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You never let anyone ride Cherry..." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We don't have enough horses." He'd responded simply to his best friend's astonished comment. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, but normally you would make her ride with me."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don't worry about it, Pete." Jasper had glared at his friend as he lifted Alice helping her up before mounting the stallion himself. As they galloped down the familiar trail, Alice let her mind wander back to the last night she'd spent in Dublin, Texas.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>They had come to the clearing as a group; everyone else had run off to cause a ruckus while Alice and Jasper stayed behind. She loved their private talks when he allowed himself to actually converse about thoughts and feelings. He was so much more complicated and intelligent than he was given credit for. It was one of the many things she liked about him, though she'd never told him out of fear it may end the discussions. </span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He'd told her about one of his horses being ready to give birth; she'd responded that she wished she didn't live in town. She'd always wanted a horse named Cherry."</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alice had left town before the foal had been born, Jasper may not remember who she was, but it made her smile knowing that he'd remembered that conversation. Maybe he </span>
  <em>
    <span>had</span>
  </em>
  <span> missed her, at least for a while. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After lunch, Jasper had driven Alice and Charlotte into town for their final bridesmaid dress fitting. Alice didn't love the cliche choice of light pink lacy dresses paired with cowboy boots. But she didn't say anything as it wasn't her wedding after all. Alice couldn't help but notice Jasper couldn't take his eyes off her. Maybe cowboy boots weren't so bad, she thought back in the dressing room, choosing to leave her tennis shoes in the box the boots had come in. The look on Jasper's face when she came back out told her it was the right decision. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Later that night, Emmett and Rosalie had shown up for a bonfire, wanting to spend as much time with their friends as possible before departing for a month on a honeymoon Emmett kept secret from everyone.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Too much beer and whiskey had given Charlotte the grand idea to dance; they twirled and laughed as they sang along to the top 40 country station. Alice was hyper-aware of a pair of eyes on her. Glancing back only slightly so as not to be caught staring. Her heart softened to find it was Jasper, doing an exceptionally terrible job of hiding his gaze. She found she didn't mind at all grateful to Peter for not calling him out. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She permitted herself to become a bit more brazen, allowing her eyes to connect with Jasper's. She soared with glee at the gentle affection his green orbs expressed and the warm smile that graced his lips. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Only a few hours later, </span>
  <em>
    <span>way</span>
  </em>
  <span> too much whiskey and beer had left Charlotte a little too confident when she kissed Peter in plain view of everyone, including her older sibling. He was the only one there, including Alice, unaware of their relationship. Needless to say, he was pissed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're not actually doing the whole protective big brother thing, are you?" Charlotte scoffed, "You of all people should understand liking your best friend's sister." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What is she talking about?" Emmett growled, his eyes immediately darting to Jasper accusingly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You have no idea what you're talking about, Charlotte." He stared down his sister in a warning. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, please, everyone..."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's true, he never cared about Em's little sister." Alice cut her friend off, proceeding to stand; the conversation weighing heavily on her heart. "I wanna go for a walk." She kept herself composed as she made her way to the horse trail. When she was out of earshot and confident no one had followed her, she allowed the tears to fall. She'd told Charlotte numerous times that there had been nothing going on between her and Jasper. He'd never viewed her as more than a friend. At least not until now. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alice really didn't appreciate her friend bringing up the subject in front of Emmett. If he found out the truth of that night, he may never speak to Jasper again. While things had clearly shifter in their relationship, Jasper seemed to relate more to his friend Peter now. Emmett couldn't find out about Alice's lie, not this close to his wedding.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Later that night, as Alice made her way back to the ranch, she overheard something she shouldn't have. Jasper and Peter were still sitting around the fire, having clearly made up as Alice knew they would. She felt a bit uncomfortable; it seemed to be a private moment between the best friends, so she made her way back down the horse trail giving pause as she faintly heard the confession. "I think I'm in love, Pete."</span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Thursday- Jasper</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>
    <span>Thursday</span>
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jasper had woken up extra early to take care of his morning chores. He wanted to get the hard work out of the way early in hopes of having more time to spend the night with the mystery woman he'd met the night before. He'd found her immediately captivating, wanting nothing more than to find out who the hell she was. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>The woman knew him, all of his friends and relatives, yet he didn't know her from Eve. She recounted youthful stories of time they spent together, events he couldn't deny sounded like things he would have done, but the memories only came when he focused hard on trying to recall and always through a fog. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He came in from the fields for breakfast, making sure to clean himself up before sitting down. He wanted to be presentable today; he wanted Miss Mysterious to like him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As soon as he entered the kitchen, his mama turned on him. Apparently, Charlotte had informed her of last night's events on her way out that morning. He was faced with a barrage of comments about how second chances didn't come often, how he would end this game as soon as possible, and marry that girl this time. Mama wanted grandbabies as soon as possible.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He'd never been so confused in his life. He had no idea what everyone was talking about. In the past twelve hours, his intelligence had been insulted on numerous occasions. He'd been scolded for doing something to this girl that he couldn't remember doing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span> "My my my, haven't seen you around these parts in some time, missy." He looked over at the stairs when mama spoke up again. The woman had come downstairs for breakfast, looking even cuter in the daylight. "And don't you worry about a thing. Charlotte has already informed me about your deal with my idiot son."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Mama." Jasper groaned as he finally took a seat, placing his cowboy hat on the table next to him. "Not you too."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"This sweetheart should be my daughter in law by now, and you can't even remember her name. I call em like see em. You're an idiot boy." She knocked him on the arm with a spatula before turning back to the woman, who seemed to be enjoying his suffering, "You sit, girl, you've somehow gotten even skinnier we gotta put some meat on those bones." </span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jasper disagreed; he was pretty sure she was perfect the way she was.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jasper didn't say another word for the entire meal as his mother chatted with his mystery girl; he was racking his brain increasingly desperate to figure this problem out. He would need more information, so he pulled her aside after breakfast. "Would you care to tell me, Miss Mysterious, why my mama spent half an hour chewing me out and telling me I'd better marry you this time?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Wow, I knew your mama liked me, but I didn't realize it went to that degree." She actually seemed delighted by the revelation. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Who are you?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Figure it out, Jazzy." She blew him a kiss and walked outside; this woman was going to drive him crazy.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He thought of her all afternoon; he and Peter were repairing fences that day, and his thoughts had him distracted and working slow. If Peter noticed, he didn't say anything. They had made significantly less progress than usual when it was time to head back to lunch. They headed down the horse trail, where he spotted the girl immediately. She stuck out on the path, the light shining through the trees, making her look as though she was glowing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His breath caught in his throat as he dismounted, "Could I offer you a ride back, ma'am?" he asked, holding his cowboy hat over his heart.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sure, Mr."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You can ride with me." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He patted his horse as Peter stared at him in shock. "You never let anyone ride Cherry..." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"We don't have enough horses." He responded simply; it was easy math: two horses, three people someone would have to double up.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah, but normally you would make her ride with me."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Don't worry about it, Pete." He glowered at his best friend as he helped the woman onto her horse, unsure why it mattered so much to the other man. The lady was riding with him; that was the end of the story. Sure, he usually wouldn't let anyone ride Cherry. Sure it didn't make any sense that this girl he couldn't remember was the only person he had </span>
  <em>
    <span>ever</span>
  </em>
  <span> felt comfortable letting ride, his favorite steed. It wasn't a big deal. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>After lunch, he had to drive Charlotte and the girl to a boutique for a final dress fitting. Well, he didn't have to; he had volunteered looking for an excuse to spend time with the woman. It had been a good decision, he figured. She looked amazing in the lace dress and boots Rosalie had picked out for her bridesmaids. He couldn't help the grin on his face when they locked eyes just as he assumed she couldn't help the blush that brightened her cheeks. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>At this point, he was well beyond just wanting a date with a cute girl; he genuinely wanted to spend time with this woman. He approached his cousin when the girls had retreated back to the dressing rooms. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Tell me who she is, Rosie, please?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Nope, I know better than to get in the middle when the two of you are playing one of your games." She'd shook her head vigorously, "But think Jas, wasn't there </span>
  <em>
    <span>anyone </span>
  </em>
  <span>you used to compete with all the time? Do you remember anyone specific who was involved in every single one of your youthful shenanigans? Maybe someone who was the real reason you put up with Maria after you broke up?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maria Moreno, they'd broken up after a month of dating had ended in disaster. He'd wanted nothing more than to stay away from her, but her best friend made that impossible. He hardly remembered the girl, her name, or what she looked like, but she was an essential part of his friend group. One he thought at the time he couldn't live without. "So, you're saying I should talk to Maria?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No," Rosalie sighed, "I'm saying you're an idiot."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The conversation ended when the girls returned, now back in street clothes. His jaw dropped when the smallest of the group came out, not in the tennis shoes she'd come in with but the cowboy boots that had been ordered to go with her dress. He wondered if she knew he had a weakness for girls in cowboy boots.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Later on, Emmett and Rosalie had come by the ranch for a bonfire, talking about how they wanted to spend time with family while they could. Emmett had a secret honeymoon planned that would have the pair away for a month. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As the night went on, he'd lost a beer chugging contest to the pretty pixie... five times. His ego may have been bruised, but he had to admit, it was quite a turn on. The girl was fun to be around on top of being possibly the most gorgeous woman to ever walk into his life. She was down for any challenge, no matter how ridiculous, smart, and quick-witted. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He was watching the angel in front of him. He should have been focusing on the story Peter was telling him and Emmett, but he couldn't help his eyes as they kept drifting to the woman. He knew the moment her gaze met his that he would do anything to win their game. He was falling for her, and fast.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was only a few hours later when the pleasant night took a turn. Everyone had been drinking heavily. When he finally took the time to stop staring at the woman who was quickly consuming all of his mental capacity. It was to see his sister locking lips with his best friend and immediately saw red, unable to believe Peter would do this. He was even angrier when he realized everyone had known about this except him. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're not actually doing the whole protective big brother thing, are you?" Charlotte scoffed, "You of all people should understand liking your best friend's sister." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What is she talking about?" Emmett growled, his eyes immediately darting to Jasper accusingly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You have no idea what you're talking about, Charlotte." He stared his sister down in warning with dark eyes. There were a multitude of reasons they didn't discuss that subject. For starters, Emmett would kill him if he ever found out about his crush. Emmett would kill him twice if he ever found out the truth about </span>
  <em>
    <span>that </span>
  </em>
  <span>night</span>
  <em>
    <span>.</span>
  </em>
  <span> But more importantly, that girl was gone; she was never coming back. He'd drank himself to oblivion and done everything he could to erase her existence from his memory for a reason. Sometimes he wondered if she'd even existed. It wasn't good for anyone to think about her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, please, everyone..." Charlotte had started to protest only to be cut off by the mystery girl.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It's true, he never cared about Em's little sister... I wanna go for a walk." She stood and fled to the forest, leaving him confused.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Jasper moved to follow her only to be held back by Rosalie. "Give her some space." He sat back down with a sigh, thinking his cousin was probably right. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Emmett and Rosalie had decided to leave shortly after; it had been the tall blonde's idea to get her fiancee out of there. After Charlotte's outburst, Emmett had turned silently hostile to his best man. While he couldn't prove anything, he'd developed a suspicion that his best friend may have had something to do with the night his sister disappeared, never to be seen in the small town again. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>He may not remember her name or face, but he certainly remembered the pain.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He'd waited for her to drive off into the night remaining on the hood of the car where she'd sat next to him for the last time only minutes ago. He'd heard people talk about heartbreak before, but he hadn't expected it to physically hurt. He certainly hadn't expected it to ache this bad, a pulsing pain in his chest. He felt numb, frozen in place. He wanted to cry, wanted to scream. He wanted to call her, tell her he made a mistake, that she should come back. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>But those were selfish thoughts; he'd told her to go for a reason. He couldn't destroy his relationship with Emmett. He seriously couldn't ask her to stay knowing the hell her father put her through. Not for him, not for some dumb guy who didn't deserve her. He'd wanted more time. He'd wanted to go to college to better himself beyond the reckless tough cowboy image everyone perceived him as. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Emmett had accused him of having something to do with her disappearance, having been the last one to talk to her. When she finally called her brother a few days later to tell him she was fine and in New York, that Jasper had actually tried to stop her, Emmett had apologized.</span>
  </em>
</p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He'd found it funny; after all that had happened, she was lying to defend him.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>Over the next year, he worked actively to forget she'd ever existed. Making a vow to never love again, if loving someone could hurt this badly, he wanted no part of it.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Clearly, that vow hadn't worked as he still couldn't stop thinking about the girl who'd recently walked into his life. Balancing his experiences with the girl from five years ago with his developing feelings for the woman he was dealing with now was where Peter found him an hour later.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Jasper?" He looked up at his name. "You gonna hit me if I sit down?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No, you're fine. I'm not really that upset." He tossed his best friend a beer. "Honestly, if Charlie's gonna see anybody, I'm glad it's someone I can trust." It was true, while he and Emmett were friends by habit, it was hard to find people you really connected to growing up in a small town. They'd remained close only because they always had been despite having very little in common outside a shared childhood.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>He and Peter were friends by choice, shared interests, and genuine connection. They'd met in university studying the same subject and had become fast friends. Peter had been the first friend he could really connect with since </span>
  <em>
    <span>her. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>When Jasper's father passed, and the ranch had been passed onto him, they'd decided to join forces. After graduating, Peter had moved into one of the buildings on the property. They'd been working together ever since.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They sat in silence for quite a while, staring into the fire when Jasper said it out loud. "I think I'm in love, Pete." </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Friday- Alice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <strong>
    <span>Friday</span>
  </strong>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alice had spent most of the day out with Maria shopping, gossiping, and catching up on some much-missed girl time. Her childhood friend had visited her at her home in Seattle; of course, it had been where she'd met her fiance. However, the nostalgic feeling of hitting all the small ma and pop boutiques that lined her hometown's main streets was something she had missed. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was kind of funny; for all of her teenage years, she had dreamed of leaving the small town desperate to see the sights of the world. She had spent the past five years sure that had been the right decision; At the time, there hadn't been anything... anyone worth staying for. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>But now, the past few days had been some of the best she'd had in quite some time. She had been feeling so stifled creatively in the city lately but had completed more sketches in the two days than she had in a year. She had genuinely enjoyed the open spaces the small town had to offer and time spent with friends to whom she'd gone years without speaking. Jasper finally seeming to reciprocate her feelings was just very, very tasty icing on the cake. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The duo were hanging out in Maria's apartment above the bar she owned on main street. Alice was helping her friend pick out an outfit to wear to the wedding the next day. Inevitably the topic of her game with Jasper had become a topic of conversation.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I just can't believe he doesn't remember me; I've dropped so many subtle hints it's insane." Alice sat on the bed, staring out of Maria's bedroom window. "He was always dense, but this is ridiculous."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I can believe it." Maira paused, biting her lip. "I probably shouldn't say anything, but... fuck it, ya know." She shrugged, taking a seat next to Alice on the bed.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You weren't here to see the fallout, Ali. When we came back from the crick, he was in shock just ... sitting frozen on the ground next to his truck with his head in his hands." Maria shuddered at the memory. "You ever seen someone way too calm... too still. He had no emotion; it was scary, Ali. You ever seen that man cry?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alice shook her head, feeling sick to her stomach. "I have because later that night after your brother went home to figure out what the hell happened since we couldn't get a word out of Jasper, I watched him sob."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alice stared at Maria in shock, unable to believe her ears as her friend continued recounting the tale. "He started pushing people away, spent all his time drowning his pain in whiskey at my bar requesting shot after shot every night until someone had to drive him home because he was too drunk to function. I ended up banning him for quite a while, told him to get help. His eyes would turn overcast whenever you got brought up as though thinking about you was too much to handle. He would talk about how it was his fault, and he was so stupid. How he didn't want to do it, but it was the right thing to do by you." Maria was staring morosely down at her hands in her lap; it was clear the recollections weighed heavily on her. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"He told me once he would erase you from his memory if it was the last thing he ever did just to stop the pain. Everyone knew you two had a thing, but we had no idea it went that deep. Lilia and Rose ended up making him go to school to get away. Jas was better when he came back with Pete; he was almost like the guy he was before you ran away." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Maria finally turned to face her. "Wasn't until I came out to visit you and got your side of the story that I put the pieces together. Part of me is a little worried about what will happen when he finally remembers; I don't want to see him that depressed ever again. But I also think you two deserve to be happy together after everything. You were two foolish kids; I genuinely hope you can find your way to each other after all this time."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"He's such an idiot. I would have stayed!" She was confused, furious, devastated by the information Maria had just given her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I know, babe. In a twisted way, I think he was trying to be selfless. In his mind, he thought that keeping you here with your dad was the worst thing he could do to you if you had an opening to flee."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Alice had left her friend's apartment with a lot to think about and plans to go out for drinks later that night so she could get to know Riley a bit better. Maria dropped her back at the ranch, where she hurried upstairs to throw on one of the new outfits she had bought and freshen her makeup. Alice had taken extra care to make sure every aspect of her appearance was perfect. There was someone she wanted to impress. Charlotte kept joking about her attention to detail, so Alice had kicked her out of the room they were sharing. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>As she left the house to find Jasper, who would be joining her for the night as she still didn't have a working vehicle. Rosalie, a mechanic by trade, had told her it was hopeless to get the car she had got so long up and running. She found him sitting on the tailgate of his pickup, strumming on a guitar. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hey, you." She greeted, leaning against the tailgate. "When did you start playing guitar?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Few years ago, went through a rough patch awhile back. Pete suggested it, thought it might help me channel my feelings in a better direction."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Her heart sunk at that, as she made a mental note to thank Peter for helping Jasper in so many ways. She shuddered, thinking about what would have become of the man she cared so very much about without someone to lean on. "Sounds like he's been a good person for you to be around." He offered a grunt in response. "You play beautifully." She commented when he offered nothing else. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ma'am?" She looked over at him. "When I was younger, I liked competing in everything. Seems to me you knew me back then. When I ran into you a few days ago, that's what this started as; a game. But I want you to know I'm not playing for fun anymore. I really do like you."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I feel the same; don't suppose I'm allowed to change the rules... or just tell you who I am?" Her question was hopeful.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh no, It is becoming very clear to me I messed something up. I need to piece this one together on my own." He smiled down at her. "And believe you me, I will." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm counting on it."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ready to go, little miss?" He asked as he hopped off the tailgate, closed it, and opened the passenger side door with a little bow that made Alice giggle. He placed his guitar, now in its case, in the backseat before driving off.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ride to the bar was uneventful; they sat listening to the radio's top 40 country station in otherwise silence. Jasper occasionally proposing a random name, never correctly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>They had a good time having drinks with Riley and Maria; it was almost like old times. Alice thoroughly enjoyed the evening, wondering why she had ever wanted to leave home. She didn't realize just how much she missed the instant fun she always seemed to have with Jasper and Maria. Maybe, just maybe, if the dense cowboy could piece together her puzzle, staying in Dublin, Texas, wouldn't be the worst thing in the world. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eventually, Maria and Riley needed to leave, leaving Jasper and Alice alone at a tall table in the corner. It was a teasing, and flirty conversation as Jasper continued to make random name guesses. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Amanda?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Nope."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ariel?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Still no," She giggled; this was getting ridiculous, and the more time she spent around him, the more she wanted to cave. Maybe losing to him just this once wouldn't be so bad. He very clearly was willing to give her the chance she had wished for all those years ago anyhow. Wouldn't giving up the game this time be a win? Still, she was afraid, especially after her conversation that afternoon with Maria. What if he was still upset? What if he wanted nothing to do with her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Excuse me, darlin'." She was snapped out of the bubble she'd absorbed herself in of just she and Jasper shutting out the rest of the world. Looking up, a man she vaguely remembered from school stood tableside. "It's good to see you round here again, Al. Would you be interested in getting dinner sometime?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, it's great to see you too, but I've actually kind of been talking to someone." The man, his name escaped her, tipped his cowboy hat to her, turned, and left.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"So, you're seeing someone?" Jasper asked after the suiter had left, seeming a bit discouraged. She found it hilarious; he was so adorably oblivious. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Of course, see I've been talkin' to this real annoyin' cowboy I used to be friends with. I would really like to go out with him, but he doesn't seem to remember my name."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You like </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>?" He seemed so relieved by her words, his tough cowboy persona temporarily crumbling down in front of her eyes, causing her heart to soar. It was so infuriatingly hard to establish a connection with his type; the idea of him letting that guard down for her again after all this time made her feel oh so very special. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Quite a bit, actually." She confessed breathlessly, showing her own vulnerability. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Then let me take you out."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What's my name?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, Al," He smirked. "Now I've got </span>
  <em>
    <span>two</span>
  </em>
  <span> letters. Alicia? Alison? Alex? Am I getting close?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Not even a little bit." She was enjoying the game, laughing at Jasper's sometimes outlandish name choices. She genuinely missed having this much fun with the man, even as just friends. When the door to the bar opened, her mood dropped drastically. Her father had entered the bar, someone she was hoping to get through the week without running into.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>Jasper's ex Maria? Fine, she was one of Alice's best friends even to this day. Her own ex James? She could handle that easily. But her father? The thing that had driven her away from the small town in the first place, not a chance.  </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Time to go," </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Everything, okay?" He had picked up on her obvious distress. "I'm not bothering you, am I? I can back off."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No, no, you're fine. I'm having a lot of fun. Just, someone walked in I do not want to deal with. Could we maybe check out another bar?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Of course, let's go. You shouldn't have to be uncomfortable." He stood and offered a hand, always the gentleman. They walked down the street to one of the towns numerous bars; small towns like this didn't provide much to do outside getting drunk, whether that be at a bar, bonfire, field, the locations endless, and the alcohol plentiful.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She marveled at how Jasper was still rescuing her from Edgar Brandon even five years later, even when he didn't remember her.</span>
</p><p>
  <span>She thought back on all the nights he had shown up at odd hours of the night to take her for a sleepover with Charlotte after receiving an SOS text when he should have been sleeping. Lilia Whitlock never questioned it when Alice was downstairs at breakfast in the morning.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You still look a bit shaken," Hed commented as they walked inside a crowded dive bar. "What can I do to help?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Talk to me." She responded, leaning against one of the back walls tucked away in a corner, trying to control her breathing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"About what?" He leaned next to her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Anything, if you could do anything in the world right now, what would it be?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'd kiss you." His response was instantaneous, as though he didn't have to think about it, as though it was the simplest question he had ever answered.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You can do anything in the entire world, and you wanna kiss me?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Is that so crazy?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No," She stood contemplatively for a moment, gathering up her nerves. "I'd let you." She turned her head to face his, her breath catching in her throat as she took in his shocked expression. He scooted in closer to where she stood. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You sure?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah," She swallowed, closing the distance between them. When their lips met, she felt electrified. She had wanted this so badly so long ago, and here it was actually happening. Jasper was so gentle, caring, and sweet, the complete opposite of what she'd expected from the brash cowboy. His lips were so soft; his rough hands felt exhilarating as they explored the curves of her body, landing delicately on her hips, holding her in place. She was grateful; she may have floated away without him holding her there; she felt so light. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She pulled away breathlessly, knowing that if they continued, this night might end in his bed. She wasn't opposed to that idea, but things were moving so fast, and he still hadn't figured out who she was. Letting that happen before they had hashed out </span>
  <em>
    <span>that</span>
  </em>
  <span> night wouldn't be fair to him, especially after talking to Maria earlier in the day. As she rested her forehead against his shoulder, she allowed herself to think back on the night she had left for the first time in years.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He told her he would name the horse Cherry and let her ride anytime she wanted. They had sat in silence after that when she made her move.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Can I talk about something heavy, Jas?"</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Go for it, Al." He replied, handing her another Bud Light. </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>She popped the tab on the can, taking a long drink before responding. "I'm thinkin of leavin town."</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Oh," He paused his own beer can halfway to his mouth. "When."</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Tonight, maybe... depends."</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"On?" </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"If there's anything worth staying for..." She paused, knowing this was the moment of no return. This either went really well, and she lived in bliss or really badly, and she left immediately. She had driven herself to the meeting spot that night for just that reason; her bags were packed in the trunk and ready to go. It all weighed on this question. "I like you a lot Jas. If there's any chance of something happening between us, I'll stay. But if not..." She trailed off, noting his panicked expression.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>He didn't respond at first, taking small sips of his beer as he stared out at the tree line. The air around the pair felt thick and tense while Alice waited for a response; her heart shattered when it finally came. "I can't, Alice. You should leave."</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>And so she did; she hopped off the hood of his truck, casting him one last glance. She didn't think her heart could break anymore until he refused to look her in the eye. She left immediacy afterward, not even telling her brother goodbye.</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hey," His voice in the present brought her back once again. "You're clutchin' my shirt pretty hard there. Everythin' okay?"</span>
</p><p>
  
</p><p>
  <span>"Not really." She pulled away with a blush, "I was just thinking about the last time I talked to you." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Whatever I did, I'm terribly sorry for causing you any amount of pain."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You don't even remember what you did." She smiled; that was just so very Jasper. Apologizing when he didn't know what he was sorry about. "But it's okay; it's all in the past. Let's go get another drink." She grabbed his hand, pulling him over to the bar. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She had placed her order and jumped onto a barstool when he spoke from where he stood leaning against the counter. "I get that it's all in the past, but you really seemed hurt. I like yaa lot, and it tears me up thinkin' that I did anything to cause ya' distress. Can ya at least tell me what I did?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You always were such a sap when no one was looking." She couldn't help the giggle that escaped her lips. "You didn't do anything wrong Jas, I liked you, and you didn't like me back." She turned to face him with a smile. "But you like me now, so until you remember me and change your mind, it's all okay." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I can't imagine you're anyone I could stop carin' about."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I really hope that's true, Jas."  </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Friday- Jasper</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Friday</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The woman had been gone when he'd come in for breakfast that morning to Jasper's disappointment. It was weird, he had thought, how easy it was to miss someone you had just met well... just remet. That was the topic of his thoughts for the majority of the morning. Just who was she, this woman who in two days had turned everyone he knew against him. Who had managed to take over all of his thoughts? Who he was already dreading leaving after the wedding. Why couldn't he remember her when it was becoming increasingly clear she had played a significant part in his life. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was well into the afternoon, he and Peter had finished all of their work for the day, and Jasper was laying the grass in the backyard racking every corner of his brain for some idea of who she could be when his mama called him over. He moseyed on over to where Lilia Whitlock was weeding in the small, well-kept potato garden behind the house. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"If you've got nothing better to do, you can help your mama tend her garden."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yes, mama." He obliged, kneeling down to pull at the offending weeds sucking nutrients from his mother's beloved potatoes. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're distracted today." I came as a statement, not a question, a mere observation. "Wouldn't have anything to do with a certain houseguest bein' out for the day, would it?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"It might."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I thought that might be the problem; you got it bad." His mother chuckled with a knowing look.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"That obvious?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You're many things, son; subtle is not one of them."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Any chance you'll tell me who she is and what exactly I did, considering you think I need to marry her?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You made this mess; you can clean it up."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Thank's mama, you've been very unhelpful." He sighed, slowing his work; even mama refused to help him. He'd thought her insistence that he end the game and give her grandchildren would work in his favor. Her refusal was like a punch in the gut. He once again found himself wondering what exactly he had done.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>It was then that Jasper's phone buzzed in his pocket, indicating a text; pulling it out, he looked down to see it was a message from Maria. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"your girl wants to know if you wanna go for drinks with us in a bit??"</span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"Hmm, maybe if she texts to ask."</span>
  </em>
  <span> It was a joke; he desperately wanted to go having missed her all day. But he also hoped her phone number might reveal a Snapchat profile or Facebook contact. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <em>
    <span>"so you can use her number to look her up on social? Nice try, dumbass, not letting you off that easy. I'm telling her you said yes, be ready in an hour. You're driving." </span>
  </em>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Of course, she had seen right through him. Maria was smart. He sometimes wondered why she'd bought a bar in her hometown rather than finishing her psych degree. But that was neither here nor there; Jasper had plans in an hour. Plans he had to admit, he was damn excited about as an enthusiastic smile crossed his expression.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sorry mama, I gotta go get ready to go into town."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Have fun with our little miss." The small woman smirked from her spot at the edge of the potato garden.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"How did you know..." He cut himself off midsentence, understanding what his mama was talking about. "Not subtle? Okay, I get it."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>His mother was right, but he couldn't find himself able to care much as he ran inside, rushing straight to his room to change. He picked out his nicest going-out clothes, making sure he looked his best; he took the time to style his hair in a presentable way. Sure this wasn't a date, but it couldn't hurt to make a good impression.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Once he decided this was as good as it was gonna get, he ventured downstairs to find his sister. She'd been kicked out of her room by, in her words, an overly excited fashion crazed pixie who can't take a joke. Not wanting to sit around listening to his sibling wine, especially when he was still a bit upset with her for the previous night, he grabbed his guitar and went outside to play a few bars while he waited.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He popped open the tailgate of his truck and began to strum out one of his favorite country songs allowing himself to get so lost in the mystery his life had become that he didn't notice when the object of his thoughts leaned up against the tailgate next to him.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Hey, you." She greeted. "When did you start playing guitar?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Few years ago, went through a rough patch awhile back. Pete suggested it, though it might help me channel my feelings in a better direction." He'd thought the idea was stupid initially but had quickly taken to the instrument finding it a calming way to redirect his focus. He felt everything with such full force, jumping headfirst into joy, love, and at the worst time of his life, an all-encompassing sadness. He'd taken to the guitar frequently after that.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Sounds like he's been a good person for you to be around." He offered a grunt in response. "You play beautifully." She commented when he offered nothing else. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ma'am?" He looked down at her, filled with a sudden need to communicate his thoughts on the matter at hand. "When I was younger, I liked competing in everything. Seems to me you knew me back then. When I ran into you a few days ago, that's what this started as; a game. But I want you to know I'm not playing for fun anymore. I really do like you."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I feel the same; don't suppose I'm allowed to change the rules... or just tell you who I am?" Her question was hopeful.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh no, It is becoming very clear to me I messed something up. I need to piece this one together on my own." He smiled down at her. "And believe you me, I will." It was a promise; he appreciated her eagerness to end the game, but like mama had said. He'd made this mess; he needed to clean it up. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'm counting on it." Her smile was sweet, hopeful; it reaffirmed his dedication.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ready to go, little miss?" He asked as he hopped off the tailgate, closed it, and opened the passenger side door with a little bow that resulted in a musical giggle from the woman; a sound Jasper instantly knew he couldn't get enough of. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The ride to the bar was uneventful; they sat listening to the radio's top 40 country station in otherwise silence. Jasper occasionally proposing a random name, never correctly. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Drinks with Riley and Maria were more fun than usual; the new old girl was genuinely fun. She seemed to love dancing, singing along to the jukebox, laughing loudly at every joke. She had a quick wit, always ready with a sassy response leading the conversation rather than following. Every time she smiled at him, he felt lost, glad he'd come that night. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>Eventually, Maria and Riley needed to leave, leaving the pair alone at a tall table in the corner. He enjoyed the teasing flirty conversation they had; he was taking random shot in the dark guesses at her name. Frequently evoking that cute giggle he liked from the woman.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Amanda?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Nope."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Ariel?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Still no," She giggled.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Excuse me, darlin'." He looked up at the sound; Hayden, a high school classmate of his, had approached their table. Hayden was the charming popular type that the girls had always gone crazy for. His stomach dropped at the words he directed to the woman. "It's good to see you around here again, Al. Would you be interested in getting dinner sometime?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Oh, it's great to see you too, but I've actually kind of been talking to someone." Hayden, who didn't seem too disconcerted by the news, tipped his cowboy hat to her, turned, and left.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>However, Jasper was crushed by her words, "So, you're seeing someone?" he asked, dreading whatever her truth may be.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Of course, see I've been talkin' to this real annoyin' cowboy I used to be friends with. I would really like to go out with him, but he doesn't seem to remember my name."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You like </span>
  <em>
    <span>me</span>
  </em>
  <span>?" It was an instant relief; he was fully aware of his goofy smile but didn't care. This woman, who he was quickly falling for liked him; it was more than he could have hoped for.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Quite a bit, actually." She confessed breathlessly.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Then let me take you out." He pleaded, wanting an official date with the woman.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"What's my name?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Well, Al," He teased. "Now I've got two letters. Alicia? Alison? Alex? Am I getting close?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Not even a little bit." She laughed, seeming completely at ease. Quickly though her demeanor changed, she was trembling slightly as the color drained from her skin. "Time to go." It came as a whisper, as though she was terrified of being heard.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Everything, okay? I'm not bothering you, am I? I can back off."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No, no, you're fine. I'm having a lot of fun. Just, someone walked in I do not want to deal with. Could we maybe check out another bar?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Of course, let's go. You shouldn't have to be uncomfortable." He stood and offered a hand, not liking the idea of this amazing lady feeling any sort of unsafe if there was something he could do to prevent it. He took her just down the street to another of the numerous bars in town. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You still look a bit shaken," Hed commented as they walked inside a crowded dive bar. "What can I do to help?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Talk to me." She responded, leaning against one of the back walls tucked away in a corner, trying to control her breathing.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"About what?" He leaned next to her.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Anything, if you could do anything in the world right now, what would it be?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I'd kiss you." It was probably a stupid thing to say at the time, but the honest words flowed off of his tongue. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You can do anything in the entire world, and you wanna kiss me?" She asked, astonished.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Is that so crazy?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"No," She stood contemplatively for a moment. "I'd let you." She turned to face him, causing his breathing to stop momentarily at the reality of what was happening.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You sure?" </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Yeah," Her voice came out breathless as she leaned in. When their lips met, he thought he might melt. How couldn't he remember this woman? He couldn't believe he could forget someone like her. Everyone was right; he was an idiot. Leaning against that wall, her lips on his, her hands tangled in his hair, felt like heaven on earth. He rested his hands gently on her small hips; he wanted to hold her there so afraid that she might disappear. No one had ever tasted so sweet or felt so perfect in his arms; there was no doubt in his mind after that kiss. He loved this girl. </span>
</p><p>
  <span>She pulled away, her breathing labored as she rested her forehead against his shoulder with her eyes still shut tight. </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>He held her like that for a few minutes before realizing something wasn't right. "Hey, you're clutchin' my shirt pretty hard there. Everythin' okay?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"Not really." She pulled away with a blush, causing him to immediately miss her presence. "I was just thinking about the last time I talked to you." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>The idea of thinking of him, causing her to act that way, didn't sit right; his chest tightened in a confusing type of regret. "Whatever I did, I'm terribly sorry for causing you any amount of pain." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You don't even remember what you did. But it's okay; it's all in the past. Let's go get another drink." She grabbed his hand, pulling him over to the bar. Despite her cheerful words, it didn't feel okay.</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>She had placed her order and jumped onto a barstool when he spoke from where he stood leaning against the counter. "I get that it's all in the past, but you really seemed hurt. I like ya a lot, and it tears me up thinkin' that I did anything to cause ya' distress. Can ya at least tell me what I did?"</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"You always were such a sap when no one was looking." She let out a little giggle. "You didn't do anything wrong Jas, I liked you, and you didn't like me back." She turned to face him with a smile. "But you like me now, so until you remember me and change your mind, it's all okay." </span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I can't imagine you're anyone I could stop carin' about."</span>
</p><p> </p><p>
  <span>"I really hope that's true, Jas." </span>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0007"><h2>7. Saterday- Alice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Ok, I really wanted to drop this story. But I entered into a deal with MtWalker and then found out there are people who actively enjoy this. So honestly this chapter is dedicated to MtWalker, GirlWhoWrites, and Irrelevanttous. Thank you guys for reminding me to ignore the negative opinions of others and keep going &lt;3</p>
<p>Special shout out to WeHaveFound for the EXCELLENT ideas and help in plotting out the action scene. </p>
<p>Just a note, if you pull up the song "In Case You Didn't Know" By Brett Young once Alice and Jasper return to the reception hall, it really adds to the moment.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Getting drunk the night before a wedding, one she was a bridesmaid in at that, had probably been a mistake. One, she wasn't entirely sure if she regretted or not. She'd woken with a splitting headache, nausea, and an intense craving for sesame chicken. Unfortunately, she hadn't been able to spare a single moment to address these issues; she and Charlotte had been woken at the crack of dawn and whisked away to the church. It had been a full morning of constant touch-ups on the decor, making sure hair and makeup were done, and constantly locating Vera, the maid of honor, to ease the tense bride down from a breakdown. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Other than her rather intense hangover and Rosalie's frequent meltdowns, the morning hadn't been awful. The yearning glances she shared with Jasper every time they were operating in the same room that caused her to blush quickly solidified her stance that the previous night hadn't been a mistake. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Thankfully, the ceremony had gone down without a hitch. The small one-room church decorated in lace and pink roses was a gorgeous setting for the occasion. As Alice walked down the aisle arm in arm with Riley, the groomsman appointed as her escort, she couldn't help but glance at the best man. Jasper, who'd gone first with Vera, was now watching her with such intense affection that she had to make a conscious effort to control her breathing. She ignored the slight, barely audible snicker from Riley as her breath hitched in her throat, her heart nearly stopping in her chest so overwhelmed with emotion. She prayed her picture-perfect makeup was enough to hide the blush, hoped that the audience hadn't caught the slight stumble in her walk. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The moment felt so familiar, eerily reminiscent of the first time she'd seen that look on Jasper's face. They had been at a bonfire, a birthday celebration for Rosalie. Alice had been gossiping with Charlotte when she'd looked over at the boys. She couldn't recall what had caught her attention, but she would always remember that expression on Jasper's face. The same gaze he directed towards her now.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Rosalie had looked beautiful, and she knew it, of course, in her long flowy, lace, backless dress. Her long curls cascading down her back and a single sunflower tucked behind her ear, Emmett's favorite flower. Her vows had been emotional, beautifully crafted, and eloquent. Emmett's were hilarious as he'd found a way to incorporate his... unique sense of humor with genuine heartfelt sentiment. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>After the ceremony had ended, the bridal party had been subjected to an hour of numerous poses for photos. Alice understood, of course, but after being woken early with a hangover, skipping breakfast, and only being allocated a small sandwich for lunch, she was more than ready to head into the reception hall for dinner.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, she was released from her bridesmaid duties, and the group gathered to make their grand entrance into the rusticly decorated room and join the celebration. Once the speeches and required dances had taken place, Alice found herself bored and a little saddened from watching Lilia Whitlock do the mother/son dance with Emmett as a stand-in for her own mother. It was a valid choice as the woman has often treated the pair as her own children yet sad all the same. She ventured outside.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maria, Jasper, Peter, and Riley stood in the smoking area with a handle of Jack. They'd been upset about the winery not allowing outside alcohol while not serving whiskey. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey, girlie!" Having clearly already indulged in the alcoholic beverage, Maria shouted out the greeting just a bit too loudly as she waved Alice over. "We're doing pulls; want one?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Typically, taking pulls from the bottle with the undeniably fun woman who'd been behind more of her terrible youthful decisions than not would have been a pleasant idea. Yet, given her current mood, the substance just wasn't that appealing. "I'm not feeling alcohol at the moment, so I'll pass on this one." She smiled, turning to walk away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Aww, come on Ali, you gone all boring city girl on us?" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Maria, unable to know how Alice was feeling at the moment, had clearly meant the comment in good humor. The woman may be a lot, but she wasn't one to talk someone into something they didn't want to do. Yet, Alice wasn't about to have her roots questioned. She narrowed her eyes, crossing the short distance between the two of them in confident strides as a half-smile formed on her lips. "Give it here."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I was kidding, babe; you don't have to."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Nope, don't you dare doubt me, Maria Moreno. Give me the bottle." Maria hesitated before she tentatively handed over the bottle with a slight shake of the head. While everyone was anticipating a swig, Alice had something to prove. Denying expectations, she expertly chugged a good quarter of the bottle before the burn was too overwhelming. It was stupid; she knew it was ridiculous.  </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Although, maybe that wasn't such a bad thing. Alice was having more fun than she had in years and the look on Jasper's face made her glad she'd done it. "That's my girl." He commented, beaming with pride.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Your girl, huh? I like the sound of that." She teased, eyeing him with a flirty smirk. She made sure to brush his arm as she reentered the reception hall. "But you'll have to answer my question before you can claim that title."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Can I at least dance with you?" Jasper asked, having followed her inside. "Please?" He was begging her with desperation in his eyes; she couldn't turn him down. Not when she was leaving tomorrow, not when she may never get another chance.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>She took his outstretched hand and allowed him to lead her to the dance floor as 'In Case You Didn't Know' began to play. He held her close as they swayed out of time to the song that hit just a little too close to home. Alice didn't care that he was a terrible dancer or that she couldn't tell if she felt woozy because of the large amount of alcohol she'd just consumed or because of the sweet, almost intimate moment they were sharing, but she didn't really care. She could stay like this forever. Alice closed her eyes, allowing herself to live in the moment for a while, letting the rest of the world fade away until, to her, it was just the two of them spinning and swaying on the dance floor. One dance turned into three turned into five. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was the sixth dance when she was done with the games, ready to give up all her cards. She was going to tell Jasper everything and lay everything on the table, consequences be damned, "Hey, Jas?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yes, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Alice</span>
  </em>
  <span>?" Her heart stopped, time froze; he'd said her name, the one word she'd been longing to hear for days.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You remember." She spoke almost silently, pulling away from him just enough to look up and see his eyes staring down at her with so much affection she felt like the most adored person in the world. "How long?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"This morning."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Why didn't you say anything!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You," He spun her out, causing her to giggle, "have been playing with me all week Alice. Maybe I wanted some revenge." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Fair enough," She was floating; he'd remembered her all day. He wasn't mad, </span>
  <em>
    <span>and</span>
  </em>
  <span> this meant earlier outside when he'd called her his girl, it was with the knowledge of who she really was. Unfortunately, all of her joy dissipated entirely only moments later. She'd spotted an uninvited guest as she twirled back into her dance partner, causing her to freeze to her spot in terror.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Edgar Brandon was stumbling into the reception hall in all of his drunken glory, looking entirely out of place in the immaculately decorated space. It didn't take long for others to notice the appearance of the man. It was no secret the Brandon children didn't associate with their father, that there was no way Alice specifically would be in attendance if Edgar was on the guest list. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, Jasper paid no attention to the tension quickly filling the room, oblivious to the scene playing out behind him, focusing his attention solely on the girl trembling with panic in his arms. He'd begun to say something, clearly concerned with her unexpected emotional shift when chaos broke out. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The shouting and shoving coming from the head table where Emmett and Rosalie sat were too much to ignore. Jasper turned, a hand still protectively clasped in Alice's as recognition hit him. His eyes narrowed in a rage upon seeing the scene Edgar was causing. Alice, still rooted to her spot, was vaguely aware of the mental calculations the man next to her was making. Her own limited cognitive ability was focussed nearly entirely on staying out of sight, hidden behind Jasper. In the back of her mind, she was grateful for the man's tall stature. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It had only taken moments for it all to play out, yet to the petite woman, it had felt like an eternity. Jasper wordlessly turned back to her, carefully guiding the woman through the throngs of onlookers as covertly as possible in an attempt to ensure Edgar wouldn't take notice.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unfortunately, his efforts were futile; as they neared the back exit, the drunken man had glanced over, catching sight of the duo. He rushed through the crowd, pushing past anyone in his way in his determination to reach them. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alice was conscious of a conversation happening, a heated argument forming though she wasn't processing the words being exchanged. The door leading outside was so close, just a few steps away. Just was Edgar lunged forward, she ran. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Outside, away from the mess currently tarnishing an otherwise beautiful day, she sat on a decorative rock as she focused on controlling her breathing. When the door opened once again, she jumped before realizing with relief that it was Jasper with Maria and not Edgar. The latter of the pair took a seat next to Alice on the rock, wrapping an arm around her in comfort whileJasper stood in front of them, breathing deeply, allowing the adrenaline and anger to wear down. It was a near picture-perfect replication of a familiar scene from their youth. One Alice had hoped to never repeat upon running away from home. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, once all involved were calmed down enough to think clearly, Jasper crouched down in front of Alice, squeezing her hand gently. "Wanna go home?" </span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I apologize for the end of this chapter, every writer has their weakness and mine is undoubtedly action scenes. </p>
<p>I hope you guys like this, I'm posting Alice's half solo right now because I feel like I've made you guys wait long enough. Jasper's should be coming as soon as he decides to tell me what he was up to while Alice was off dealing with Rosalie.</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0008"><h2>8. Saterday- Jasper</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I present to you my fine friends, Jasper's POV for Saturday.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>
  <span>Getting drunk the night before a wedding had likely been a poor choice, particularly when he was the best man. Yet, despite the mild hangover and lack of sleep, it was a choice Jasper couldn't bring himself to regret. Not when he'd fallen asleep the previous evening unable to stop thinking about the past few days, particularly the woman who'd stormed into his life once again and overturned everything. Especially not when he'd awoken that morning, finally seeing everything with crystal clarity.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Everything finally made sense, his friends and family all calling him an idiot, his mother's off behavior, even Emmett's anger directed his way recently. It was Alice, of course it was Alice. Jasper had done so much to bury her memory, convinced himself that there was no way she would ever return. It had never occurred to him that </span>
  <em>
    <span>Alice</span>
  </em>
  <span> could be the mystery girl. He had never felt so stupid in his life. Everyone was right; he was an idiot. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As he rushed through getting up that morning in a hurry to drive himself, Alice, and Charlotte out to the church to set up, Jasper mulled over this recent revelation. He may have been a fool, but this time he wouldn't let her leave without putting everything on the table. This time he had a plan.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The morning was spent carrying chairs and tables into the church and reception hall. Helping put up the decor meant to sit higher on the walls, he being the obvious choice to help with the task after all given his height. And consoling a nervous Emmett who, at some point throughout the morning, had convinced himself Rosalie would change her mind at the last minute. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He couldn't help himself from glancing at Alice anytime they were in the same room, torn between wanting to cut to the chase then and there and his plans for later on in the evening. It was only the thought that the woman likely had enough on her plate dealing with his cousin that kept him from spilling then and there. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The ceremony had gone off flawlessly; Rosalie had in fact, not 'seen better sense' at the last moment, as Emmett had phrased his worries. Alice, however, had his attention captivated from the moment she'd walked down the aisle arm in arm with Riley. Hid breath had hitched in his throat upon seeing her as memories of their youth overflowed him, and he was able to pinpoint the exact moment he knew he was head over heels in love with Alice Brandon. The moment he knew even as a teenager, she was the one. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It was at a bonfire, one of many they had every summer. Jasper had been chatting with some friends from school when he'd looked across the yard at Alice laughing with Charlotte. He'd been crushing on her for quite a while, but something about that moment. The ethereal way she looked in the firelight, her wide smile and flushed cheeks from the laughter. Everything changed. It was the same gut feeling he had now watching the woman make her way down the aisle, stumbling slightly towards the end of the journey. Jasper had been so caught up in all things Alice he'd been only half present during the ceremony that Riley had needed to elbow him when it was time to hand over the ring to Emmett. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once the ceremony had ended the wedding party had been lead outside, his heart went out to the girls. Posing for all the required photos Emmett had wanted was time-consuming enough. All the extra shots Rosalie wanted with her bridesmaids had to be too much for the woman who he knew hadn't yet had a chance to eat. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once the photos had finally ended, the bridal party had made their grand entrance. Over dinner, Jasper made his best man speech, and as soon as the dances started he ventured outside for some fresh air. He, followed by Riley, joined a waiting Maria who stood outside with a smuggled-in bottle of Jack. Being at a winery near the church, the reception didn't allow outside alcohol to be brought in. Of course, those rules would never stop someone like Maria.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As they passed the bottle between them, he could hear the DJ announcing various required dances, albeit faintly. Once he overheard the announcement of the mother son-dance where his own mother would be dancing with Emmett as a stand-in for the late Mrs. Brandon, he wasn't surprised in the least to see Alice step outside with a mournful expression. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Hey, girlie!" Maria called out to Alice just a bit too loudly, already a bit tipsy. The woman hadn't needed to spend the morning preparing the event space. Jasper wouldn't be surprised if she had engaged in a bit of pre-gaming. "We're doing pulls; want one?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I'm not feeling alcohol at the moment, so I'll pass on this one." Alice smiled, turning to walk away. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Aww, come on Ali, you gone all boring city girl on us?" Maria was treading dangerous waters. Maria may not be as aware of Alice's movements and expressions as Jasper was, and yes, it had been years since he'd last seen her. But Alice never backed down from a challenge; he wasn't interested in seeing the two women go into friendly competition mode. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alice narrowed her eyes, crossing the short distance between the two of them in confident strides as a half-smile formed on her lips. "Give it here."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"I was kidding, babe; you don't have to." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Nope, don't you dare doubt me, Maria Moreno. Give me the bottle." Maria hesitated before she tentatively handed over the bottle with a slight shake of the head. While everyone was anticipating a swig, Alice defied expectations chugging a good quarter of the bottle before lowering it was a slight grimace and shake of the head. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"That's my girl." Jasper let slip before he could think the statement through, unable to help being proud of the girl for never failing to hold her own. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Your girl, huh? I like the sound of that." She teased, eyeing him with a flirty smirk, brushing his arm lightly as she returned to the reception hall. He almost thought it might have been on purpose. "But you'll have to answer my question before you can claim that title."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Can I at least dance with you?" He'd asked following her inside. He needed her to dance with him; it was part of the plan. When she remained silent in contemplation, he held out a hand. "Please?" </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alice took his outstretched hand, allowing him to lead her to the dance floor just as the song changed from something upbeat to 'In Case You Didn't Know' started to play. Suddenly nervous, Jasper held her close, silently swaying, badly, along with to the music. His intentions were to take Alice back outside after they shared a dance and sit down with her outside on the bench overlooking the river. Then, alone in the romantic spot, he would tell her everything. That he remembered who she was, that he missed having her in his life, and he'd been in love with her since high school.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>However, when the song ended, he couldn't bring himself to let go. For her part, Alice didn't seem far too anxious to move either, so they stayed that way for the next five songs.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As the sixth song began to play, Alice shifted in his arms, slightly lifting her head as she spoke, "Hey Jas?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Despite his earlier plans, this moment felt right. So with a surge of confidence, he responded. "Yes, </span>
  <em>
    <span>Alice?" </span>
  </em>
  <span>Putting emphasis on her name, finally spoken for the first time in years. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You remember." She spoke almost silently, pulling away from him just enough to look up at him fully. Any lingering questions he had about if she would return her feeling dissipated as soon as he saw the pure joy shining in her eyes. "How long?"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"This morning."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Why didn't you say anything!"</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"You," He spun her out, causing her to giggle, "have been playing with me all week Alice. Maybe I wanted some revenge." </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Fair enough," she giggled, and he felt as though everything was going to be alright. To Jasper's shock, though, as he twirled her back in, the woman froze in his arms in a way he was unfortunately all too familiar with. Something had happened judging by the way she stared wide-eyed at the spot just over his shoulder. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>The air in the room quickly became tense as the guests who joined them on the dance floor turned to tensely stare at whatever was behind him that had Alice so terrified that she was shaking in his arms. He'd just opened his mouth to ask her what was wrong when it all became obvious. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>He spun around, holding Alice's hand tightly in order to make a run for it if necessary, to see the very much unwelcome voice of Edgar Brandon shouting and shoving his way over to the head table where Emmett and Rosalie sat. He was screaming about how his only son hadn't invited him to the wedding. Jasper felt his chest tighten in rage as Jasper made mental calculations while keeping Alice protectively hidden behind him. Jasper wanted, as he had for years, to stalk over there and clock the pathetic excuse for a man in the jaw. Memories of every night Alice had called crying, looking for a place to stay. Of every time he'd dropped what he was doing to help her sneak out and bring her back to the ranch where his family would keep her safe. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Alice, though had to be the priority. Edgar could not know she was there. She would not endure a confrontation with her father if he could help it. So wordlessly, he turned back to face her, carefully guiding the woman through the crowd to the back exit as quietly as possible. Just as they were within feet of the door, the very drunken Edgar had chosen that moment to glance over in their direction, catching sight of the duo. The man rushed through the crowd pushing past anyone in his way with determination to reach the pair. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Jasper tucked Alice behind him once again, grateful to see Maria making her way through the crowd. Other than Emmett and Jasper, Maria being Alice's best friend, knew better than anyone in the room just what was potentially about to go down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Back off," Maria called out, standing next to Jasper just as Edger stopped in front of the trio.</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Jus' wanna speak to my daughter."</span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>"Yeah, well, I think you know that's not happening on our watch." Jasper glared down, narrowing his eyes as his lips curled in disgust. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>It happened quickly, the drunk man shouted out, "Come here, Mary-Alice." As he lunged forward, the woman in question made a break for the door, and an enraged Maria stood between the scene and the exit as though daring the man to come closer. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Unable to reach Alice, Edgar switched courses grabbing at Jasper instead, who quickly shoved the man off of him onto the floor just as the police someone had the sense to call had arrived. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Once Edgar had been arrested, Jasper and Maria had given statements that included the events of so long ago, and both friends were dismissed; they ventured outside to find Alice sitting stiffly on a decorative rock breathing deeply in and out. She'd jumped when the door opened but relaxed upon seeing that it wasn't her father. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>As though it was routine, and unfortunately it was, Maria took a seat on the rock next to her friend, wrapping a comforting arm around the girl. Jasper stood in front of them, allowing himself to breathe deeply as the rage and adrenaline wore down. </span>
</p>
<p>
  <span>Finally, once he was confident Alice was calmed down enough, he crouched down in front of her squeezing her hand gently as he asked, "Wanna go home?"</span>
</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you guys like it and it gave you some clarity on what actually happened since Alice was panicking too much to be present in that situation. </p>
<p>Leave a review down below with your thoughts and questions &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
<a name="section0009"><h2>9. Sunday- Alice</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Alright, one more down and one more to go. I'm so excited to be at the final day of Alice's trip, I love this ending so so much.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Alice woke up the next morning curled up in Charlotte's bed, still wearing her dress from the night before. She was confused at first until she sat up in the bed. Nausea hit her in waves as the chain of events leading her to that position flashed through her mind.  Alice could remember having a marvelous time dancing with Jasper, who finally remembered who she was. For an all too brief period of time, she had thought that just maybe everything would work out. Up until Edgar crashed, the wedding and reality came tumbling down around her.</p><p>Alice had spent the better part of the past five years trying to forget the little farm town, and yet she didn't really want to leave. Sure there was a job lined up in Seattle, but it wasn't too late to walk away. She didn't have an apartment yet and still needed a new car. It would be so easy to just stay here. But that was ridiculous; with the spell officially broken thanks to her pathetic excuse for a father, the realities of that scenario made themselves apparent. It was a stupid idea, an irresponsible flight of fancy. Her plane was leaving in just a few hours, and it was time to go home. So, with a sigh, of resignation, she took the ibuprofen someone had been kind enough to leave on the bedside table, then got up to shower and pack.</p><p>She'd just placed the last of her belongings in her suitcase when there was a soft knock at the door. Confused, she crossed the bedroom and opened the door to meet the new arrival. Emmett stood in the hallway with a big smile, though Alice couldn't miss the look of concern lining his always protective eyes. She took a step back and gestured into the room wordlessly, inviting her brother to come inside.</p><p>"Shouldn't you be off on your honeymoon?" She asked, taking a seat next to Emmett, where he'd sat down on the bed.</p><p>"We're leaving soon. I had to take care of some... things. And I wanted to make sure you were doing okay. I didn't see you after..." He trailed off, likely not wanting to verbalize the unfortunate events of the night prior. A sentiment Alice understood. "Anyway, are you? Okay, I mean?"</p><p>"Honestly? I don't know."</p><p>"Care to elaborate there?"</p><p>Alice leaned over playfully, slamming her shoulder into her brother's. "I don't know. It's weird. I've always known what I wanted to do. Where I should be, ya know? But lately, I just feel so conflicted about life, and it was kind of nice being home."</p><p>"You mean it was nice seeing Jasper again." Emmett teased, causing Alice's face to flush.</p><p>"You knew?"</p><p>"Alice, the two of you are about as transparent as air. Can't say I'm happy about it, but you're my baby sister, and I just want you to be happy. Follow your heart, kiddo." With that, Emmett wrapped his sister in a hug, said his goodbyes, and left the woman alone to her thoughts.</p><p>A week ago, everything was easy; she was happy in Seattle; at least, she'd thought she was. Being back in Texas had felt like breathing again for the first time in years. She hadn't realized just how much she'd missed her old friends of the beautiful trails and, of course, Jasper. There had been a feeling, building up for years; Alice hadn't truly understood what it was until returning home. She'd begun to resent the city; she wanted to start over again. What a better time to do it too, there was nothing waiting for her back home. Well, Bella would miss her but was that enough? </p><p>On the other side of the equation, could she really just abandon the life she'd build in the north? Was it worth it, and could she be happy here? Maybe there was a reason she and Jasper kept getting so close to crossing that final hurdle but never actually making it. Perhaps it just wasn't meant to be, and she should accept that. She hated to admit it being the type of person who never backed down from a challenge and never let anyone or anything stand in her way. But she was scared to take this leap.</p><p>It was all too much; it was such a big decision and one Alice didn't want to deal with right now. She needed time to think about this. So she ventured downstairs, suitcase in hand, still mulling over her options. In the living room, she found Jasper sitting on the couch staring at the wall, anxiously fiddling with a loose string on one of the cushions. Alice set her bags down next to the door and took a seat next to the nervous man. They both remained quiet for a moment; Alice was unsure what to say, still undecided about what course of action to take. Meanwhile, the clock continued ticking closer and closer to when she needed to be at the airport. She was just about to ask him for a ride when he finally spoke.</p><p>"I love you." His voice was quiet, almost inaudible. "I learned the hard way that you can't just let those feelings walk away. I won't give up this time unless you ask me to." He finally looked at her, "Please don't ask me to."</p><p>"Jasper I... What if that's not enough? I mean, what if the universe is trying to tell us something? We keep getting to this point, and something goes wrong... I have to go. I've made too many mistakes." With that, she sprung from the couch and made her way outside. She was halfway across the yard, ready to put her bags in the bed of Jasper's truck, when she heard someone running in her direction.</p><p>"Mary-Alice Brandon, I swear to god you are the most infuriating woman I have ever met." </p><p>"Well, you just happen to be the densest man I have ever met." She turned on a dime to face him with hands on her hips and a slight smile on her face. It was a familiar exchange, words they'd shouted at each other dozens of times growing up. Alice wondered if Jasper found the moment as surreal as she did like those five years hadn't passed and they were just stupid kids.</p><p>"I'm sorry, Alice." </p><p>"I'm the one who ran away."</p><p>"And I'm the asshole who turned you down. I was such an idiot back then, worried more about being cool, what my friends would think, or how your brother might kill me... Still a little bit scared of that last one, if I'm bein' honest."</p><p>"You could take him. Em's a big softie." Her expression softened, and she slowly started walking in Jasper's direction, finally having made a decision.</p><p>"You got too much faith in me, little lady." He stared at her with years of pent-up affection as she approached. "I really did love you back then, I just... didn't wanna keep you here when you have so much to offer the world. Or keep you with your jerk of a dad when I knew how miserable you were."</p><p>"You're an idiot."</p><p>"I've been gettin' that a lot lately, but I won't make the same mistake twice." He closed the remaining distance between the pair sweeping her literally off her feet lifting her up into a tight hug. "I should have said this five years ago. Stay, Alice. Please."</p><p>"Of course, I'll stay, Jas. But first, I think I owe you a date."</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>I hope you guys have enjoyed this story, we only have Jasper's point of view left to go.</p><p>Leave a comment down below to let me know your thoughts on this one &lt;3</p>
        </blockquote><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>This was supposed to be a simple one-shot but it got ahead of me, please enjoy &lt;3</p></blockquote></div></div>
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